Anesthesiology Research
doctors reaching into laboratory equipment

Advancing Science, Improving Patient Care

Join the next generation of researchers in our quest to be the preeminent academic anesthesiology department in the world.

A culture of research and discovery

The U-M Medical School Department of Anesthesiology is at the forefront of addressing key questions in outcomes, neuroscience, and pain and opioids research. Our research is supported by National Institutes of Health funding, as well as a wide array of foundation, state, and industry funding.

Our work spans the translational spectrum, from computational in silico modeling, to animal experimentation, to prospective observational or interventional clinical research, to large-scale epidemiology.

We focus on three areas of research in nationally and internationally recognized centers:

In addition to generating some of the most influential work within the field of anesthesiology, we have rich and productive interdisciplinary connections to basic science, public health, engineering, and even philosophy and the arts.

Our faculty serve major research leadership roles across the university and nationally, in fields that transcend the traditional boundaries of anesthesiology, including genomics, precision health, drug discovery, and translational science. 

We are committed to making a major impact in anesthesiology as well as science, medicine, and society through our discoveries shared through widely-published research and commentaries. We also are focused on shaping a more diverse and inclusive future for academic anesthesiology, both within our department and across the country.

Research Areas
Neuroscience Research

Leading the research of the neuroscientific mechanisms of anesthesia affecting memory, awareness, consciousness and pain.

Outcomes Research

Standing at the forefront of research to better understand the care we provide and the decisions made by clinicians in perioperative practice.

Pain & Opioids Research

Driving efforts to understand pain and how we can improve care and outcomes for patients with acute and chronic pain.

Student Research

Offering a range of opportunities for students to engage in scholarly work across our research domains.

Developing the Next Generation

Career development starts from our internship, with a unique research training month, then progresses to our research resident track, the C-STAR program. We are also one of 16 departments in the country to host an NIH T32 postdoctoral training program.

Learn More About C-STAR
Research Leadership
Chad Brummett Chad M Brummett, MD
Bert N LaDu Professor of Anesthesiology Research
Professor of Anesthesiology
Associate Chair for Research
Department of Anesthesiology
Amy Bohnert Amy SB Bohnert, PhD, MHS
Professor of Anesthesiology
Professor of Psychiatry
Executive Director, Pain and Opioid Research
Anesthesiology
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Daniel J Clauw MD Daniel J Clauw, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director
Pain and Opioid Research
Translational Research
Department of Anesthesiology
labcoat Anthony G Hudetz, DBM, PhD
Professor of Anesthesiology and Executive Director
Neuroscience Research
Center for Consciousness Science
profile-phillip-vlisides-2019 Phillip E Vlisides, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Executive Director, Neuroscience Research
Profile-SachinKheterphal-2023 Sachin Kheterpal, MD, MBA
Research Professor
Professor of Anesthesiology
Associate Chair for Strategy and Technology
Program Director
Outcomes Research
Associate Dean for Research Information Technology
Featured News & Stories See all news mushrooms in a microscope
Health Lab
How cannabis and psilocybin might help some of the 50 million Americans experiencing chronic pain
Recent developments represent a dramatic change from long standing federal policy around these substances that has historically criminalized their use and blocked or delayed research efforts into their therapeutic potential.
The Fundamentals podcast, season 2
Medical School News
Back 2 The Fundamentals: Successful research podcast launches second season
In the second season of The Fundamentals podcast, co-hosts Kelly Malcom and Jordan Goebig talk to several leading experts from the Medical School about their fields and the fundamental questions they are trying to answer — and discover why U-M is such an amazing place for research. Six new episodes of the popular podcast were released on May 6
Paul Picton, M.B., Ch.B., MRCP, FRCA
Department News
Paul Picton, M.B., Ch.B., MRCP, FRCA, featured on ASA Central Line podcast
Drs. Paul Picton (University of Michigan Medical School) and Matt Whalen (Emory University School of Medicine) join host Dr. Adam Striker to discuss perioperative stroke.
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The Fundamentals
Cannabis and psychedelics: stigmatized substances or powerful therapeutics?
Today on The Fundamentals is Dr. Kevin Boehnke, research assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. His current research focuses on therapeutic applications of cannabis and psychedelics. His goal is to rigorously assess appropriate use of these substances and to help address the public health harms caused by their criminalization.
The Fundamentals Podcast Hero Card Final 1800 x 1350
The Fundamentals
Addiction is a lifelong disease and not a moral failing
On today’s The Fundamentals is Dr. Brummett, Professor at the University of Michigan where he serves as the Senior Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology. He has more than 280 publications, including articles in top journals such as JAMA, JAMA Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Annals of Surgery. He is the Co-Director of the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network or OPEN at the University of Michigan, which aims to apply a preventative approach to the opioid epidemic in the US through appropriate prescribing after surgery, dentistry and emergency medicine. Moreover, he is the Co-Director of the cross-campus Opioid Research Institute, which was launched in the spring of 2023. He leads multiple NIH grants studying these concepts and receives funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, CDC, and multiple foundations. You can learn more about Dr. Brummett here, and you can follow Dr. Brummett @drchadb and the department of anesthesiology @UMichAnesthesia on X.
Rebecca Nause-Osthoff
Department News
Rebecca Nause-Osthoff, MD, recognized for fostering environment of equity and inclusion
Rebecca Nause-Osthoff, MD, has received the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Graduate Medical Education's (GME) 2024 Faculty Equity and Inclusion Award.